Never Will I Ever
by Keep-Calm-and-Be-a-Guardian
Summary: Dimitri is gone, and Rose is at rock bottom. When she starts to come back around to everyday life at the academy, Lissa decides to take the gang shopping at the mall. But, the happy occasion goes awry when Rose encounters some moroi. Rose's life will be changed forever, as will everyone's. Eddie tries to become the love Rose needs, but will Dimitri come back? Stay tuned.
1. Chapter 1

**First Fanfic...so please review! (Also, I don't own Vampire Academy, or the characters...*sigh*...All of this goes out to Richelle Meade!)**

Remembering him is the worst. The ache returns, with even more pain than the time before. I can't eat, can't sleep without nightmares, and sometimes, I can't even think. I just cry, hoping he'll show up to comfort me. But I end up sobbing even harder, because I know he won't come.

Lissa is as tore up about me, as I am about Dimitri. The only reason I know that much is because of the bond. She and Christian are here with me right now, in my room. I can feel Lissa's arms around me, and Christian's hand in mine. Through the bond I can feel Lissa's despair. It's been a week; I should come back to her.

I lean my head against her shoulder, looking up at her angelic face. "I can't believe he left," I whisper.

Their heads snap up and they gape at me, not quite sure how to handle the sudden change in me. Christian pipes up first, "I'm sorry he went with Aunt Tasha…she can be a real bitch sometimes."

I'm shocked at how he referenced his aunt, but give him a small smile and squeeze his hand. "It's okay, Fireboy." We sit like that for a minute more, when Liss and Chris hop up.

"I'll bring Eddie in," Lissa says with a smile, "He's been standing guard outside your room all week." I nod, glad to see my friend again. My stomach flutters a little at the thought of him protecting my dorm.

Half a second after Fireboy and Liss slip out of the door, Eddie pushes his way through. He just freezes for a moment, taking in my red, puffy eyes, and sickly pale skin. Then, suddenly, he all but jumps on top of me, pulling my body into his strong arms.

"You scared me, Rose," he murmurs into my hair, "You really scared me."

"I'm sorry," I mumble against his chest, smelling his masculine cologne.

"_You_ aren't the one who needs to apologize."

Eddie must feel me tense up, because he starts rubbing my back in soothing circles. "Hey, guess what? Lissa was going to go shopping tomorrow. Doesn't that sound like fun? You'll be able to get some sun, maybe you won't be so deathly white anymore," He says with a laugh.

I giggle, wriggling out of his arms, "Hey! Watch it, Castile. I don't want to have to beat you up."

"Oh, like you could beat me up!"

I playfully punch him in the arm, "I could whoop you with my eyes closed!"

"Whatever," he exclaims, poking me in the side.

I chuckle, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

The next day, Saturday, was beautiful. We left in an academy SUV at one pm human time, with Alberta and Stan. Another SUV was filled with five more guardians. Alberta and Stan two guardians sat in the front, Lissa, Christian and Adrian at in the middle, and Eddie and I sat in the back. There wasn't a whole lot of room, so when I got tired, I just leaned against Eddie. Just before I dozed off, I saw Alberta smiling at us in the rear view mirror, and felt Eddie slipping his arms around me.

Two hours later, I woke to someone gently shaking me. I groaned and made a face.

"What?" I whine, hearing a male's voice chuckling.

"It's time to shop, sleepyhead," It was Eddie.

"Castile," I yawn, "you're killing me." He helps me out of the vehicle as I groggily gain back the use of my limbs.

"ROSE!" Lissa squeals as we walk towards the mall's entrance.

"LISSA!" I screech back, "WHAT?"

She laughs, "I'm just really excited!" I smile at her, and we loop our arms together. Before we walk into our first store, she glances back at everyone else, who are lagging about twenty feet behind us.

"You guys better keep up!"

Five hours and hundreds of dollars later, we can't decide on the last shop to go into. I want to go to an athletic wear store, but Lissa wants to get some new earrings. I don't want to leave her since the moroi's needs come first, but Alberta assures me it's fine if I go to my store and meet them at the food court in half an hour.

So, I head off to the opposite side of the mall, and find my store. I only take a few minutes, and buy a few workout tanks and leggings. I glance at the clock behind the register as I pay the cashier. I still have twenty minutes before I have to meet the others at the food court, so I decide to walk around the outside of the mall to get some fresh air.

After a few minutes of strolling in the moonlit darkness, I hear footsteps behind me. That's not abnormal, considering other people might meander around in this area, so I let it go. But, after five more minutes, I decide to glimpse behind me. It's a group of five moroi men, probably in their mid twenties.

"Hey, dhampir! Wait for us, babe."

I scoff, and keep walking, "I'm not your babe."

They whistle, "She's a feisty one, guys. Say, what's a cute little novice like you doing out here in the big city. Not that this place is big, but it's better than that stupid academy."

"That's none of your business," I call back to them, "Now leave me alone."

"Oh c'mon, sweetheart, don't be like that. We'll be gentlemen about it, okay? Now let's get somewhere cozier, what do you say?"

I stop and turn towards them, "I said, _'leave me alone'_! Now go before I hurt you."

They chuckle, and a second too late I realize I'm only seeing four of the five men. A strong pair of hands wrenches mine back behind me, and into cuffs. I try kicking at my attacker, but my legs are weak from the long day of walking around, and they do minimal damage. _Come one, Rose! You're a dhampir for God's sake! Pull yourself together! What would Dimitri say?! _ My body flinches at the thought of his name, which gives the rest of the moroi men a chance to immobilize the rest of me.

They scoop my thrashing body up, and to an empty limo...of course. There driver doesn't even flinch at the sight of me, and immediately slams on the gas once they are all inside. It takes four of them to keep me from lashing around. I scream and curse, and cry.

I was raped by the five moroi.

Four hours after my capture, the men toss me into a parking lot, and drive away into the night. I shiver in the cold, realizing I'm only in a bra and panties. I lift my aching head, to see a massive building about three quarters of a mile away from my freezing, throbbing body. It's the mall. They threw me in a lot by the mall. How kind of them.

I curl up into a ball, trying to retain all of my body heat, and bawl. Not only did my pride hurt, but my body was hurting, too. Five men had their way with me, and I couldn't do anything about it. It was nothing like the cabin with Dimitri, where love was the reason for our lust. This was evil, and animalistic. I wondered if I was in worse enough shape where I would die. I know I want to die. I don't even think about how it would affect Lissa. I decide to pray for once in my life.

"God, please just let me die," I sob, then scream into the darkness, "PLEASE! JUST LET ME DIE!"

Soon, I see beams of light flashing around the entrance of the mall. There are tons of black SUVs parked at the front, and I fleetingly wonder why. People are talking hurriedly back and forth, looking desperate but energized. I shout in frustration. Why are they upset? Their world didn't just come crashing down around them! Their life isn't over like mine is!

After a few wails, I notice the beams of light turn my direction. Someone shouts, and people begin sprinting towards me.

"Rose?!" Familiar voices call out worriedly. A man reaches me first. He looks frantically at my practically naked body, then leans down to touch me.

I cringe, "NO! DON'T! PLEASE DON'T DO IT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN!" I howl.

"Rose," he says anxiously, "It's me, Eddie. Rose, I won't hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

_I don't know him, do I? He's just saying that so he can-no! I know that messy, blond hair, and those kind eyes. _

"Eddie?" I whimper. He nods at me as the others gather around us. I use what's left of my energy and throw myself against him, weeping. He embraces me fiercely, and whispers nonsensical things into my ear. "I tried fighting them, Eddie! I just wasn't strong enough! I'm a failure! Those men…they…they-," I couldn't finish that sentence. I couldn't say that disgusting word. But Eddie knew; everyone did. I mean, there was no other reasonable explanation for me being half nude.

"You are _not _a failure, Rose!" he tells me ferociously. I cringe a little from him, and he softens. "You aren't a failure. Those men are evil, and don't deserve to live. I won't let them hurt you again, I promise."

Alberta crouches down beside us, and touches Eddie's shoulder. "We need to get her back, Eddie. She needs a doctor, and we can't take her to a human hospital. She's got bites all over her; how could we explain that?"

I just now notice the bite marks, and I wish the endorphins were still flowing throughout my body. Maybe I wouldn't feel like hell.

Eddie nods in agreement with Alberta, and the guardians jog to their vehicles. Eddie keeps a strong hold on my back, but slips an arm under my knees, and lifts me up.

"Lissa," I mumble, "Is Lissa okay?

"Lissa's perfectly fine, Rose. Stan took her, Christian, and Adrian back to the academy a few hours ago. They didn't leave without a good fight, though."

Eddie stepped into a pothole, and my body jarred. My everywhere hurts. I could now feel the bites, scratches, and bruises all over me. Eddie apologized after I yelped, and I buried my face into his neck.

"Eddie?" I whisper.

"Hmm?" he looks down at me as he settles us in our SUV. Alberta and a few other guardians are buckling their seatbelts.

"Please don't let them come back for me," I beg. Everyone in the car freezes, silent. Alberta looks at me with pure sadness in her eyes.

"Rose," Alberta says, "_No one _is going to hurt you again, none of us are going to let that happen." Sadly, I think more heartache is in my future. I was right.

**Again please review, and let me know what you think should happen! I'm not sure who I want Rose to be with yet! Should it be Eddie or Dimitri? What do you think is going to happen to Rose in the next chapter?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews guys! PLEASE keep it up. Jayfeather rules- Touché… No seriously, you are TOTALLY RIGHT! The five moroi men had guardians that I completely overlooked! Their guardians were "in-league" with their disgusting game of having their way with women. So yes, normally moroi would be at a more protected place, but they had guardians with them like the Academy gang. Thanks Jayfeather rules! (I don't own VA or any of the characters.)**

Doc Olendski sits on my bed, and leans to adjust a stray piece of my hair. I've been in and out of the clinic for the past month, and haven't been attending my boring classes (science, math, English, and history). No one wants me to fall back into the depression I had when Dimitri left, and it's not like I was passing any of them anyways.

Lissa has been the sweetest, staying by my side before and after all of her classes. Eddie has been attatched at my hip, guarding me from any potential danger. Recently I've been wondering how exactly I feel about him, especially since I get butterflies when I see him smile down at me. I'm beginning to think I might be able to get over Dimitri after all, but the mall incident isn't really helping my emotional status any.

Right now, Lissa and I are waiting in the clinic for to finish my check up. She took a crap load of tests on me, and I'm unsure of what all they're for. All I know is, that when I explained feeling sick, Doc's eyebrows furrowed. I wonder what the matter is with feeling sick. I mean, don't most people have tribulations when dealing with traumatizing situations?

Suddenly, walks through the door, and gives me a miserable look. "Rose, we need to talk." I nod at her to continue, and she sits herself across form Lissa and I. "I've ran five tests and they all came back the same."

"What kind of tests?" Lissa asks in her refined voice. Doc looks levelly at her.

"Pregnancy tests," She answers coolly. My heart stops beating, and Lissa's thoughts pour through the bond.

_Oh my God, Rose! What if you're pregnant with one of those…those monsters' baby? Oh my God! What are we going to do?! Would you keep it? Oh my God, Rose, you'd better keep it if you're pregnant!_

I squeeze Lissa's hand roughly, silently reminding her to shut the hell up. She flashes me an apologetic look, and we both turn back to the doctor.

"So?" I ask, wanting the information to continue. looks heartbroken.

"Rose, you're pregnant."

I nearly fall out of my chair. "WHAT?"

Doc stares me in the eyes, "You're four weeks pregnant. Five different tests showed the same results. Sweetie," She adds nervously, "you should start thinking about what you're going to do with the baby."

I slump in my chair, thinking. "So let me get this straight…I'm pregnant."

sighs, "Yes, that's correct."

"I'm pregnant?"

"Yes."

"I'M PREGNANT?"

"That's what I just said, Rose."

"HOLY SHIT! I'M PREGNANT?"

"Lord have mercy! Rose, are you even listening to me?"

Normally, I would comment on her sassiness. But, now was kind of an oh-my-God-what-am-I-going-to-do moment. So, keeping in line with my latest bad habits, I cried. Actually, cried is an understatement. I bawled. I bawled so hard, I actually had to run to the bathroom and throw up.

Lissa ran in behind me and held my hair back. "Rose, it's alright. We'll think of something."

I got up and rinsed off my face. "Lissa, it's not 'going to be alright'. Stop trying to make me feel better! This is a serious problem for _everything_ we had planned for our lives!"

Liss stood behind me, looking upset. "I just don't want you to be sad…or angry at ME!"

I whip around to face her. "Lissa, sometimes I'm allowed to be sad or angry! Sometimes it's about how I FEEL, NOT YOU! Do you even remember what I've gone through the past few months?! First Dimitri left, then I was…I'm pregnant with a man I don't even know! SOMETIMES I JUST WANT TO BE SAD AND ANGRY, LISSA! SO JUST LET ME BE SAD!"

Lissa look like she's about to cry. _Damn. _I try to reach for her, saying I'm sorry, that it's just the hormones. But she just shakes her head, and runs out of the bathroom and the clinic. Knowing she wants to be left alone, I don't follow her. But, as I leave the clinic, I tune into her head.

_She's storming into the cafeteria, since it's almost time for lunch. Evreyone quiets down, and eyes her suspiciously. Most whisper about how I'm not with her….and how she's pissed. So, they put two and two together to figure out she's mad at me._

"_Liss," Christian begins when she flops down beside him, "where's Rose?"_

_She scoffs, "Why should I care? She's too busy being a sappy, hormonal, pregnant, and bitchy-"_

"_WHAT?" Eddie shouts with his eyes bugging out. Adrian and Christian are dumbfounded as well, trying to make sense of the situation. "Rose is pregnant? It's with one of those fucking moroi from the mall, isn't it?! I'm going to ki-"_

"_Eddie, calm down," Adrian says, "That'll only make things worse than they already are." Eddie, surprised at Adrian's sudden moment of rationality, slowly schools his face to his guardian mask._

"_Alright, I'm fine. Now, Lissa, why are you angry with Rose?"_

_Liss just stares her hands on the table. Then, a few tears roll down her face. "She yelled at me. She said that things are always about me, and how this is about her for a change," She was really crying now, "and I was just trying to make her feel better! What's wrong with that?!"_

_Christian wraps his arms around her, and says, "Nothing, Liss. Rose's just going through a really difficult time. I mean think about it, sweetheart. If I left you, then you were…and you found out you were pregnant, wouldn't you be all over the place? I'm surprised at how well Rose is handling this. She's too strong for her own good."_

_Eddie stands, "I'm going to go look for her."_

I snap back out of her head. I realize I'm standing in front of the church. I remember that night at the mall, after I was thrown out of the limo. I screamed at God, asking Him to let me die. Now, even though I'm confused at what my life holds, I'm glad He refused. If I had died, there would be no life for my unborn child. There's a reason He kept me alive, and that was to mother this baby that's growing inside of me.

I wipe the tears off of my face, and even smile a little. Even though what those moroi did was wicked, they still gave me something I never would have had otherwise. Even if Dimitri had stayed, we would have been unable to have children, and if my feelings for Eddie grew, I still wouldn't have a family. In spite of the pain I've endured these past few months, something amazing is going to happen.

"Rose?" A voice calls. I turn around to see Eddie running towards me. "Rose! I'm so sorry!" He says as he wraps me in his strong arms. I give a small laugh.

"For what? I'm going to be a mom, Eddie," I pull back a little and look into his eyes with a smile, "I'm going to be a mommy!"

Eddie beams at my happiness, "You're going to keep it?"

"Yeah," I say, putting a hand on his face, "I don't know what the hell I going to do, but I'm keeping it."

He puts a hand over mine and thinks for a moment. I look into his handsome eyes when he starts to speak. "Let's get out of here," he says.

I gape at him, "What?"

"I said, 'let's get out of here'."

"But, Eddie…how could we do that? Where would we go?"

He tightens his arm around me, and squeezes my hand lightly, "I don't know yet. But, we'll get a little house away from prying eyes, where you can raise your baby in peace for a while. Then, when you're ready, we'll visit court, and see how we can finish school to become full guardians."

I smile, "That sounds really optimistic, Eddie. We won't even be able to get past Lissa if we tell her we're going to leave."

Eddie's eyes bore into mine, "Then we won't tell her."

We left a week from the day we first talked about leaving. Eddie and I withdrew from the academy, and left when the sun rose so Lissa wouldn't see us. Adrian is the only one who knew we were running off and where we were going. He actually put a down payment on a house for us, and found us jobs so we could pay for my child.

Actually I think Adrian was hurt that I wasn't running off with _him_, but I knew Eddie was the right choice. He would do anything and everything to protect me and the baby, and he might possibly feel an attraction towards me. I don't know, I just think the hormones are making me hallucinate, but he stares at me more than normal. His eyes don't always linger at my stomach, but at my face, and in my eyes. It gives me confidence, you know?

Right now, we're in an SUV that Adrian purchased for us. Our luggage is packed tightly behind our seats. The house we're going to is actually in Pennsylvania, an hour away from court. This way, as soon as Liss moves to shadow Queen Tatiana, I can have her visit…if she's not still angry with me for leaving.

We've been on the road for a few days, taking our time so the travelling won't strain me. Unfortunately, I've been feeling car sick today. I clutch my stomach as I lean my head against the cool, glass window.

"We're almost there, Rose," Eddie says, glancing anxiously at me.

I sigh with relief, "Thank God."

About fifteen minutes later, we pull into a long, paved driveway. At the end is a large, two-story home with a big fenced-in backyard.

Eddie whistles, and then says, "Adrian has really out done himself this time."

I shake my head with an excited smile, "I know…let's go look around!" I squeal with happiness, my nausea suddenly forgotten. Eddie just laughs at me, and takes my hand as we unlock the door, and step inside.

The first room was the living room. It had cream colored carpets, plush furniture, and robin egg blue walls. Next to it was the fully equipped kitchen with pastel yellow walls, white cabinets, and wood flooring. Also on the bottom floor was a multi-purpose room, and a cozy bathroom.

Upstairs, there were two master bedrooms, and one guest room. My room was painted a deep red, while Eddie's was warm beige. The nursery would be the guest room, which was unpainted and empty, considering we didn't know the child's gender yet.

The last room we looked at was mine, and I yawned at the sight of the comfortable bed. Eddie told me to nap while he carried in our belongings. After an hour or two of beauty sleep, I went downstairs and sat next to Eddie on the couch.

"This place is perfect," Eddie says, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I know. I think we're going to love it here."

Eddie sighs with content, "Yeah and we have neighbors, too."

"Really?" I asked. Our home was just outside of a small town, and I didn't remember any houses close to our little acreage.

"Yeah, I went out for a walk, and there's a small house a little down the road. I saw a guy carrying in a whole bunch of baby stuff, and a lady kissed him at the door."

I grinned, "Seriously?"

"Yeah," He said again with a laugh, "Your baby's going to have a little friend."

I giggled, "That's sounds awesome. You know," I say thoughtfully, "we should like, go bring them cookies or something. Isn't that what people do?"

Eddie considers it, "Yeah that sounds like a nice thing to do. But…let's do brownies."

**So what do you guys think about the house Adrian found them? Do you think Eddie is falling for Rose? What do you think the neighbors are going to be like? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, do you guys like how things are going for Rose? Life seems to finally be going right for her. Too bad something big is about to happen… (I do not own VA or any of the characters.)**

The next day, Eddie and I went into town to buy food. While we were out, we got ingredients for brownies like Eddie suggested.

"Eddie," I call from the kitchen, "what do they mean by 'beat the eggs'?" I stare dumbly at the box's instructions.

"Hold on," He calls back, while he hurries in from the living room. He lays a hand on my back, "What's the matter?"

I sigh, "I don't know what these directions mean."

Eddie smiles, "How about _you_ supervise me while _I_ make the brownies. Then we can say we both made them."

I grin at him, "Sounds like a plan."

While Eddie was 'beating the eggs' of the second batch, I find myself tuning into Lissa's thoughts.

_ She's with Christian and Adrian, at the Student Services desk._

_ "What do you mean 'they withdrew from school'?!" Lissa exclaims. The moroi woman manning the desk glances at Adrian, confused._

_ "Princess, maybe Lord Ivashkov can shed some light on the current situation. He was here when Miss Hathaway and Mister Castile dropped out."_

_ Liss and Christian stare at Adrian, looking betrayed and hurt._

_ Adrian sighs, "Lissa-"_

_ "No, Adrian! You lied to me! You said you had no idea where they were! You said you'd look for Rose in her dreams for me!" Lissa shouted. Then she grabbed Christian's hand and began to storm away. Just before she reached the door, she whipped around and said, "You can tell her I hope she's happy with her new best friend, Eddie, because I am no longer friends with her, and I never want to see her or the baby!"_

I snapped back into my own head, remembering Lissa's last thoughts. "You liar," I said.

"What?" Eddie asks, while taking a pan out of the oven.

"Lissa found out Adrian knew," I say simply. His eyebrows rose in question.

"How is she taking it?"

I sigh, "Not well. She said she never wants to see me or my baby." Eddie shakes his head knowingly.

"She's lying," Eddie states, and I nod. We stay in a contented silence for a few minutes, and then Eddie speaks up.

"We need to meet with our employers today. Want to do that now, and then visit our neighbors?"

I consider it, "Yeah that sounds good."

After I changed into a blouse and dress pants and Eddie into a button up with khakis, we left for town to speak with our new bosses. Eddie's job was being a home security guard for a wealthy doctor, and the man seemed extremely pleased with Eddie's skills. I on the other hand, was preparing to be the secretary for a nursery. My boss-unlike Eddie's-didn't really like me, or the fact that I was a pregnant teenager living alone with a guy. But I think I shut her up when I lied and told her Eddie and I are engaged. She was awed at my dedication to 'our child'.

After we'd had lunch at a little dairy bar, I hopped into the passenger seat with my strawberry sundae. "Can we go meet the neighbors now?" I whined. Eddie just laughed at me.

"Your wish is my command, my _dear_." I giggled at him. Since I told my boss we were to be married, he'd been playing it up in front of everyone we met, to tease me. But, I loved it when he used terms of endearment on me.

"Alright, _Romeo_," I say with an eye roll, "let's go!"

When we arrived at our neighbors' house, Eddie helped me out of the truck, and set an arm on my back while we walked to the door. As he rang the door bell, I nearly squealed with excitement.

"If you keep acting like this, you'll scare them, Rose," Eddie jokes in a whisper.

"Oh shush," I sigh.

These people could be just what Eddie and I need. I'd love to have a girl to talk to, especially about the pregnancy. Plus, I feel bad for Eddie, knowing he doesn't have any guy friends to talk sports and power tools with. Also, I want my baby to grow up with a friend around his/her age. Growing up at the academy, I was surrounded by peers, and I want that for my child as well.

Suddenly, the door opens, and my heart stops beating, and my jaw drops.

It's Dimitri.

His dark eyes widen, never leaving my face. "Rose? What are you doing here?"

But, I can't answer him. I just stand there, one hand holding a tray of brownies, one clutching to Eddie for dear life. My throat feels so dry, that I feel like sand could blow out of my dropped jaw. The man, who loved then left me, is my new neighbor. Worse than that, he's with another woman; a woman who's pregnant, according to Eddie. Then it hits me, _Oh my God, Tasha Ozera is having Dimitri's baby._

I can feel Eddie's rigid body against mine. I can picture the intimidating face he's giving my former lover. His eyes would be narrowed to slits, boring into Dimitri's wide, brown ones. A stiff, angry arm is wrapped around me, keeping me upright.

"Rose," Eddie begins coldly, "let's give the neighbors their treats."

I thrust the tray into Dimitri's chest, and he barely catches them before they fall to the ground. "Wait," he says, "_neighbors_?"

"That's right, Belikov," Eddie states with venom, "_We_, live just down the road a piece, and thought we'd say hello to you. Hope you like the brownies…_Rose _made them for you." Eddie tightens his arm around my waist, and starts to turn us around.

"Wait!" Dimitri shouts. Suddenly, a black haired woman shows up in the doorway.

"Who is it, _Dimka_?" Tasha Ozera asks in a chipper voice.

"I-it's…Rose H-Hathaway," Dimitri stutters in answer.

Tasha smiles, "Rose! Oh my goodness, is that you? What a pleasant surprise! What are you and your friend doing here? Come in, come in!" Eddie shakes his head, leaving no room for arguments.

"No, we'll have to decline. We have to go shopping for a baby's room," he explains pointedly towards me. Tasha steps around her man a little, and I can't help but stare at her stomach. Her normally perfect moroi body is slightly extended at her tummy, from their unborn child. My body will look like that in a few weeks, not like the barely noticeable bloating I have now.

Dimitri's jaw falls open, "Rose, you're…pregnant?" I nod shakily. Suddenly, something inside of him snaps, "You mean to tell me, you got yourself pregnant, dropped out of school, and then ran off with another dhampir novice?!"

"Well when you say it like that, everything sounds stupid," I retort with my old charm. My ex-instructor rolls his eyes impatiently. Eddie turns me around again, and we begin walking down their drive.

He calls over our shoulders, "Enjoy the brownies!" I can hear Tasha chattering about their baby as we walk off, and my legs buckle as we near the edge of the driveway.

"Shit," I curse under my breath as Eddie steadies me.

"Rose?" He questions in a scared tone.

"I'm fine," I lie, "I'm fine."

"Let's go home," Eddie says, and we're silent the rest of the way to our house.

The next few months we spent working, buying baby supplies and avoiding our unwanted neighbors. I was now five months pregnant, and my doctor-who's also Eddie's charge-said I could find out the gender at the next appointment…which was today!

Eddie and I were growing more and more excited each and every second for my little bundle of joy. I'd been talking to co-workers about their pregnancies, and the birthing process, and I felt like I had a great support system in them. Eddie had even been reading up in parenting magazines that the doctor gave him after hearing him brag about "his" unborn baby while on the job.

On the way to my appointment, I asked Eddie, "What do you want, a boy or a girl?"

He gave me a confused smile. "What do _I _want?" Then he just beamed, "A healthy baby with ten fingers and ten toes. What do _you_ want?"

I thought about it, "Same as you. I'd love a boy _or_ a girl."

Eddie glanced over at me again, "Have you been thinking of names?"

"Not really…have you?" He laughed and nodded. "You have, Eddie?"

"Yeah," he answered happily, and then he turned serious. "I know it's not really my place-"

"-Eddie," I interrupted, "You have just as much a right as I do. I...I want you to be like a father to this child. The baby deserves someone like you."

Eddie looked shocked, but grinned and held one of my hands, his other steering the vehicle. "Really, Rose?"

I giggled, "Yeah. What names have you thought of?"

Eddie hesitated, "They're not really that good."

I roll my eyes, "C'mon, _Romeo_. Let's hear them."

He sighs, "Okay. For a girl, Orchid Marie Hathaway…like Rosemarie Hathaway." I beam at him. "Or, for a boy, Briar…uh…"

"Briar…what's the middle name?" I ask, wanting him to continue. His cheeks turn red, and he looks nervous.

"Briar…_Edward_…Hathaway," He tells me worriedly. I consider his suggestions.

"Eddie, I like Orchid Marie. But Briar Edward-"

"You don't have to say it. It was stupid anywa-"

"-I _love_ it. It's absolutely perfect," I tell him adoringly. Eddie perks up, his eyes glowing.

"Really?!"

"Yeah," I laugh. Eddie looks thoughtful for a moment.

"I've changed my mind, then," he says with a smile.

"About what?" I ask, confused.

"I want a boy."

**So, how'd you like this chapter? What do you think is going to happen between Rose and Dimitri now that they're neighbors? Do you love the names? Is the baby going to be a girl or a boy? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please keep reviewing! If I don't get any more reviews I'm going to assume no one likes the story, and I probably will become depressed and not update anymore…SO PLEASE REVIEW! (Also, I don't own any part of VA or the characters) Enjoy!**

After we walked out of the doctor's office building hand-in-hand, I screamed with happiness. Eddie picked me up and twirled me around the parking lot. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor smiling at us from the glass door entryway.

"Oh my God Rose!" Eddie shouted, "Twins?!"

I giggled, "A boy _and _a girl!"

"An Orchid Marie, and a Briar Edward! Rose, this is perfect!"

Eddie was right, things appeared absolutely perfect. We painted the twins' nursery cream, and hired a painter to add a gold damask print on the top half. We bought matching white cribs, dressers, changing tables, the whole nine yards. Adrian would visit me in my dreams, insisting we get only the best for Briar and Orchid. He even sent me us small, gold, chandelier light fixture for their room. Soon, I was almost 31 weeks along, and everything was coming together…or so it seemed.

One night, I was taking a walk outside because I woke up a few hours early, and couldn't go back to sleep. Eddie had started sleeping in my room with me, so he would be there when I suddenly felt nauseated in the middle of the night. It was a wonder I got out of bed without him waking, but he had worked overtime yesterday…and I was really sneaky.

As I neared Dimitri and Tasha's house, I really did feel sick. I hated the weakness I had with Dimitri, especially when I had Eddie now, but some things just never stop hurting. I was so shaken from thinking of him, that I didn't even notice the figure in front of me. I nearly ran her over before I came to a stop.

"Hello, Rose," an icy voice says. It was Tasha. She was holding an umbrella, though I couldn't imagine why, because it wasn't even raining.

"Oh, sorry, Tasha, I was having trouble sleeping and decided to take a walk."

Her eyes narrowed at me, "How funny," she says without any humor, "me too."

I was taken aback by her attitude towards me. Why was she acting this way? "A-are you alright, Tasha. Is something wrong?"

She gives me a rueful smile, "Yes, sweet Rose, something _is_ wrong." My eyebrows furrow.

"Is there anything I can do?" I ask innocently. I didn't particularly like Tasha-especially since she took Dimitri away from me-but she was Christian's aunt, after all.

"Yes, Rose. I would love it if you could stop _seducing my Dimka_!"

I nearly passed out from shock. "W-what?!"

"He can't stop talking about you! Rose this! Rose that! Ever since you moved here! And that little _monster_ inside your womb is driving him crazy!"

I nearly slapped her, but instead said, "Actually, it would be little monster_s_."

She laughed, "Twins? You're having twins? Now he'll never shut up! Rose he's mine now, alright. M-I-N-E! MINE!"

I shook my head fiercely, "I know, Tasha. I'm really happy for you…and your guys' child. I don't have those feelings for Dimitri anymore, I love Eddie." _Whoa! Did I just say that?_

"I don't believe you," Tasha says, drawing out her words, "So, I'm going to have to take care of you myself."

Before I could react, she struck me in the stomach with the umbrella. I fell to the cement, and she continued to bash me with her makeshift weapon. She was only had the strength of an average moroi, but she was landing very good blows.

I screamed, and the lights in her house turned on. The door flew open, and I heard Dimitri shouting.

"Tasha! Are you alright?! Where are-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He ran to us and wrenched Tasha off of me. She thrashed around, but had a snowball's chance in hell against "the god". As he was wrestling her into their house, I heard running footsteps.

"Rose! Rose, where are you?! Oh my God, ROSE!" Eddie shouted while he sprinted to my side, and as I moaned in pain. Tasha didn't actually directly hurt me, but I felt liquid running down my legs like I had urinated. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain run through my body. _I'm going into labor! But I'm not far enough along!_

"Eddie!" I exclaimed as he started to scoop me up into his arms, and I spotted Dimitri approaching us, "I think my water just broke! Oh my God, my water just broke! It's too early! What am I going to do?!"

Eddie froze, "You're in labor?!"

"YES!"

Dimitri had heard us, "Her water broke?" He asked as calmly as he could. When Eddie nodded he continued, "She needs to go to a hospital…not just the doctor."

I whimpered, hanging onto Eddie's shirt. Eddie jumped past his shock and went into guardian mode, "Where's the nearest hospital then?" _We really should have thought of this before, _I thought. I can't believe we forgot to look for a place for me to give birth.

Dimitri sighed, "Where Tasha is going to give birth…court."

I lay in my hospital bed, exhausted from the past few hours. Tasha's beating put me into early labor, and I was rushed to the court hospitals to have an emergency c-section. Briar and Orchid were both having difficulty breathing by themselves, but were otherwise healthy…thank God.

Since my arrival at court, word got around that Rose Hathaway was in the hospital bearing her "secret child" (because vampires can't keep to their freaking selves). So, Lissa, Christian, Adrian, and my mother were waiting outside my room to see me. Dimitri ran back to Tasha after I was checked in, so he could warn her that guardians were on their way to incarcerate her for Assault and Battery charges. Eddie was in my room with me, and I couldn't wait to show off what he gave me.

Finally, my awaiting visitors were all allowed in. Lissa rushed to my side, "Rose! I've missed you so much! Are you alright?! Is the baby okay?!" She asked, crying. Christian stood dutifully behind Liss and smiled at me kindly. Adrian gave me a kiss on the cheek, and my mother stood by the door, wearing her guardian mask.

"I'm fine, now…and the _twins _are alright. They're on breathing machines right now, but the doctor says that they're amazingly developed for being premature. They should be off of the machines in a little while."

Lissa and Christians mouths flew open, "_Twins_?!" They asked simultaneously. I laughed and nodded.

"Little dhampir," Adrian began, "tell them the names Castile came up with."

Eddie squeezed my hand and smiled. Everyone-besides Adrian-gaped at us, and I know they're trying to size up our relationship. "The girl is Orchid Marie Hathaway, and the boy is Briar Edward Hathaway. Briar is older by three minutes."

"Edward?" Liss asks while beaming at me and Eddie's intertwined hands.

"Yeah," I answer, "Orchid Marie after me, and Briar Edward after Eddie."

My mother shifts her weight onto her other foot, puzzled, "Why after Eddie?"

I look down at my left hand, "Because he's going to be their daddy."

Everyone-including Adrian, these time-gasps, and Christian is the first to recover. "You two are engaged? Since when?"

Eddie grins, "Since the twins were born."

Janine sighs, "Rose, how do you manage to get through the hardest, most awful things, and then make your life perfect?"

I smirk at her, "I have no idea."

And I truly don't.

The twins are two weeks old now, and were released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. Eddie and I have been crashing in the hospital's waiting room, and we're happy to finally go home with my-I mean, our-newborns.

Eddie had one baby carrier in each hand, and I unlocked the car and helped him buckle up the twins. I caught Eddie watching me as I tenderly kissed Briar on the head, while stroking his soft cheek.

"Will they be okay back here, Eddie?" I ask, looking worriedly at my little ones. Eddie's kind eyes lock onto mine.

"Of course, sweetheart," he tells me simply, "I'll drive and you can keep an eye on them, alright?"

I smile and head around to the passenger door. "Okay."

I would call the twins' first night a home a nightmare, but I didn't get any sleep. Orchid would start crying, which would make Briar cry, or vice versa. It seemed like every time Eddie and I finally got settled back into bed, a scream blasted in our ears, and we would jump up for another round.

We had a great system, though; I would take one baby, and Eddie would take the other. Eddie was a natural and oh-so gentle with the newborns. Most of the time, he would calm his baby first, and then rush to help me so the cries wouldn't become contagious to the other. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him running caring fingers over the twins' hair, or sweetly explaining that everything was alright, and Mommy and Daddy just wanted some sleep.

At one point in the early morning Eddie had both babies, one in each arm, while he sat on our bed against the headboard, cooing against their whimpers. Soon, he had drifted asleep along with the newborns, and I couldn't help but snap some pictures with my camera. My fiancée was perfect, and so were _our _babies.

I started scrolling through my photos, but when I came back to the beginning, I saw some I didn't take. There were a few of me at the hospital right after the c-section, my friends and family in the waiting room, and a _lot_ of the twins through the glass of the NICU. I noticed one person wasn't in any of the pictures…Eddie. He had taken all of these for me, and I let out a little hiccup from trying to not cry.

That was all it took for Eddie to snap awake, "Rose? What's wrong?"

I shook my head when he was about to stand. I was just extremely happy, plus I didn't want the sudden movement to wake the twins. "These pictures…they're wonderful. Thank you."

He smiled, "You're welcome…hey, what was the camera doing out anyways? Were you taking pictures of me while I was asleep?" I giggled and nodded while we walked to the nursery, and he gently set the babies in their cribs. "Well Rose, that was naughty. I going to have to get you," Eddie explains, like there was just no way out of it.

My eyes go wide, "You wouldn't," I whisper.

He grins mischievously, "Oh yes I would!" He murmurs back as we make a run for it out of the babies' room. I instinctively dash into our bedroom, and Eddie follows and topples me onto the bed. He starts tickling me, making me giggle. "Quiet down, Rose. You don't want to wake the babies up," he taunts.

I use my training to flip him over, and start tickling him. His melodious laugh echoes through the room, "Shut up, Eddie. You don't want to wake the babies up," I mock. After a few minutes, both of us are all tickled-out, and collapse beside each other on the soft king sized bed. I smile, and we both roll over to face each other. "Eddie?" I ask.

"What, sweetheart?"

My heart skips at his words. "Do you find it odd that we're engaged…and we've never kissed?"

His eyes flick longingly down to my lips, then back up to my eyes. "I didn't know if you felt that way about me. After I first saw the babies, I just hoped and prayed you really did love me, because I feel in my heart that Briar and Orchid _are_ my children. I love them as much as I love you."

I shook my head fondly at his words, and felt his arm wrap around my waist. Suddenly, his smooth lips were against mine, and we kissed each other so passionately, we soon had to stop for air. I laid my head on his chest, and Eddie wrapped his strong body around me. We stayed like that until our beautiful babies cried again, and we both got up and entered the nursery, hand-in-hand.

**Do you think Dimirtri still loves Tasha after going all psycho on Rose? Are Rose and Eddie making a mistake by getting married? PLEASE review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again guys! Sorry for the delay, I went camping with my grandparents. Thanks for the reviews, I LOVE hearing your opinions on the plot! Silvernmist~ Haha, all in good time my dear, your questions will be answered. DimitriBelikovAllTheWay~ I'm not sure yet, because I haven't seen that many stories with Eddie as Rose's love interest…but you never know…hehehe. KEEP REVIEWING YA'LL! (I don't own VA!)**

Eddie and I split time with each baby, so they both received one-on-one attention. This morning was my turn with Briar, who had favoritism towards me. (But, to be fair, I was pretty awesome.) I needed to get some shopping done, so I took him along with me while Eddie and Orchid went to go watch security cameras at the doctor's house.

Honestly, I figured I was more into picking Briar's outfit than the actual shopping itself. The twins' clothes were so cute, and I always had time for dressing them up. This morning, I put Orchid in a black onesie, black pants, and baby sunglasses…since she was going to help her daddy with security.

But for Briar, I had different plans. He was wearing a white onesie with a froggie face on it, pants with stripes of light and dark green, and a matching beanie that was shaped like a frog head. He looked so adorable, that I had to do a little photo shoot after I set him in his lime green baby carrier.

Sometimes I felt bad about things like this, because I didn't go all gaga over Orchid's outfit, even though she was as cute as can be. I mean, she was my baby girl, after all. But, I was starting to…notice things.

Briar was a spitting image of me. He had curly, dark hair, and chocolate eyes. Orchid on the other hand, was a straight-haired blond, with the most beautiful, almost unreal, blue orbs for eyes. Orchid was utterly breathtaking when you laid eyes on her, even multiple times a day like I did. This made me feel even guiltier about being a little more enthused over Briar. I shook my remorse away, knowing that this was normal, and I loved _both _my babies with all my heart.

When we finally reached the grocery store, I sat him in his special shopping cart seat that Lissa gave me. It was a light aqua, making it look like water, so Briar looked like a real froggie! It was too cute, and people commented on it every time I turned into a different aisle.

"Excuse me," a young woman said. I looked over at her, and was taken aback. The woman was a moroi.

"Yes?" I prompted as she walked up to me.

"Your baby is just so handsome! What's his name? How old is he?" She gushed, and I became a proud mommy for the fiftieth time today.

"Thank you. This is Briar, and he'll be one month old Saturday."

The woman kept the excitement in her face, but I noticed her eyes were speculating. "That's interesting," she answered. _Interesting? Is that really the first word that comes to mind? Something's wrong here. _"Are you raising him on your own? Where's the father?"

"Umm," I began, stunned, "I'm living with my fiancé."

She stared oddly at Briar all of the sudden, "Is your fiancé the father?"

I let out a shocked laugh, then awkwardly try to change the subject, "May I ask your name? Should you have a guardian somewhere around here?"

She notices the shift in topic, "Vivienne _Sarcozy_."

_Sarcozy. She's a royal, so where are her guardians? What is she even doing here? Why the hell is she staring a Briar? I need to get my baby out of here._

"Well, Lady Vivienne, it was a pleasure. I'm sorry to say that I must be going," I tell her stonily, as I begin to walk away. I half jog, half run to the nearest open register. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see three dhampirs dressed in all black, watching me. _What do these people want?_

I have a large grocery haul filled with baby supplies, so I whip out my phone and call Eddie.

"Hello, Rose?" He asks as he picks up.

"A royal was talking to me at the store. When I mentioned Briar's age, she went all weird staring at him. Something isn't right, Eddie."

He takes a few moments, "Are you positive you're not just being…uh…"

"I swear it's not paranoia," I glanced around me and my heart rate accelerated, "She has three guardians, and they're all staring at me. They followed me to the register."

"Rose, listen to me," Eddie begins, "just get out of there. Go home, I'm leaving right now." Suddenly, a whimper sounded on his end of the phone. My heart wrenched a little.

"Is Orchid okay?"

"Yeah," he said tiredly, but with a smile in his voice, "She probably just misses you."

"Really?" I ask, while paying the cashier.

"Yeah, ever since we left you two at the house, she's been upset. The other guys at work have been helping me with her fits.

I smile a little. My little girl misses me! Plus, I'm trying to picture the other three young men that work with Eddie, trying to calm a screaming baby. It's really a funny sight, let me tell you.

"Alright," I say while walking towards the exit, "I'm walking out right now. I'll see you at home, Eddie."

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too."

I make it to the SUV, as Eddie was picked up by a co-worker for job today. I feel bad that the guy has to take Eddie and Orchid home sooner than expected, but the safety of my son and daughter comes first.

"There you go, baby," I say to Briar as I settle him in his car seat. I close his door and turn around; in front of me are the guardians from the store. They look almost identical. The three men are in their mid-twenties, tall, well-built, and have short cropped hair. I only saw three of them to begin with, so Lady Sarcozy might be left defenseless...not that I really care. I'm shocked at their sudden presence, but I remember my training and school my face.

"Rosemarie Hathaway?" The dhampir in the center asks in a calm voice.

I narrow my eyes and lock my SUV, while standing in front of the door nearest Briar. "Leave us alone," I growl.

"We don't want to hurt you. Our orders are to question you about your child," The guardian on my left says evenly. _Child? They don't know about Orchid! Don't say a word, big mouth._

I narrow my eyes, "He is none of your concern, nor is he of importance to Lady Sarcozy. So kindly tell her to _fuck off_."

They all sigh, and the first man speaks up again. "We have to follow orders, Miss Hathaway. If you don't go with us willingly, we'll have no choice but to detain you." He glances down, noticing the beautiful diamond ring on my left hand. "Is it not _Miss _Hathaway?"

"In a few months it will be Mrs. Castile."

Their eyes widen in recognition, "The dhampir you left the academy with?"

I nod, and then glance at Briar. _Shit._ I haven't turned the car on, so he either needs out, or the air conditioning on. I unlock the car and hurriedly get him out. He's sweating a little from the heat of the sun, but he's fine.

The three guardians had lunged forward when I made the advance to my car. Now that they realized what I was doing, they look from me to Briar and back to me again.

One of them murmurs, "The baby doesn't even look like Lord Sarcozy."

I gape at the dhampirs, nearly losing my grasp on Briar. "_What_…_the_…_hell_….did you just say?"

They glance over at me like they forgot I was even there. Then one of them opened their mouth and gestured towards me, "Now would be a great time to answer our questions."

I rolled my eyes impatiently. They weren't going to leave me alone until they got what they wanted. Out of the blue, my stomach started growling loudly.

The dhampirs' lips turned upward. "How about we talk over some lunch?"

I sucked in my cheeks and tapped my foot, irritated. "Fine," I grumbled. They all blew out relieved sighs. I guess I should've argued more to keep up with my old habits.

The men escorted me to a popular town eatery, affectionately named _Greasy's Diner_. The inside was pretty homey, though it was quite modern. Dark, hardwood floors, new black vinyl for the booths, and a granite bar table near the back.

There was an elderly couple near the front, and a little kid's soccer team with their coach in the middle. So naturally, the guardians opted for the back of the building.

"I look like a terrible mother," I say to them as we near the table they've selected. I begin to look around for a high chair, but one of the men is already bringing one over.

He sets it up, and even holds out his arms to pick up Briar, "How do you look like a terrible mother?" He asks. I hesitate, but then decide he wouldn't attempt to kidnap my baby with this many witnesses, and hand the child over. He gently settles Briar into the seat, and straps him in with careful fingers.

I consider his question. "I'm in the back of a restaurant next to the bar, surrounded by three men, and to top it all off, I brought by newborn along. I'm practically Mother of the Year."

They don't laugh, but I can see the amusement showing through their guardian masks. A waitress came by to order our drinks, and then we got down to business.

"How old is your son?" The guardian next to me asks. He's the head of the group as far as I can tell.

"Almost one month," I answer, while wiping drool off of Briar's perfect face with his bib. Apparently, Briar didn't like the feel of the bib on his skin, and decided to voice his irritation…very loudly.

"Oh no," I lament softly as I pull him into my arms, "I thought you were a tough guy, baby boy."

His cries softened a little, but he just wanted to be fussy. The head guardian's eyes softened, "Want me to hold him for a while?"

I glance over at him and see how genuine he looks. "Knock yourself out," I say as I ease my baby into his awaiting arms, "Every once in a while he just fusses for Eddie."

"What's his name?"

"Briar Edward Hathaway," I tell him, stunned that my little boy is smiling up at the intimidating man.

"You two are serious. You and your fiancé, I mean."

"Well I'm not marrying him _just_ for his looks," I answer with a laugh. "But, Edward is only similar to Eddie's real name-Edison. We didn't want to plague a child with that name."

The three men actually chuckled now, but their faces turned serious almost immediately after, knowing I have some things to ask them. I give them all a level look.

"I've answered some of your questions, and now you need to answer some of mine." Briar giggles when I make a funny face at him, while awaiting the guardians.

"Alright," the man with Briar concedes, "what do you want to know?"

"What does the Sarcozy family want with Briar?"

He hesitates at first, focusing his gaze on Briar. But he slowly meets my eyes and says, "Lady Sarcozy's brother believes he is the father of your child. He wants us to bring him the baby."


End file.
